This invention relates to a detachable weight assembly, and cover for use in combination with a detachable weight assembly. The weight assembly of the present invention is especially applicable to covers such as, beach towels, equipment covers, picnic blankets, car and boat covers, nursery ground covers, and the like. The invention attaches along the edges of the cover, and serves to immobilize the cover in a desired position solely by the effect of gravity.
Ground securing devices for use with covers, such as beach towels, are generally known the art. According to one prior art device, a rigid peg or stake is attached to each of the corners of a beach towel and driven into the ground or sand to hold the towel in a spread out condition.
This device, and similar devices requiring ground penetration, suffer from many drawback and limitations. For example, the prior art device is almost useless when the towel is laid upon a wooden sun deck or concrete pool side. Moreover, sun bathers often prefer using lounge chairs when at the beach or the pool. In this case, use of a ground-penetrating device is awkward and generally ineffective for holding the towel in a fixed position over the chair. In addition, many prior art devices are typically long and pointed, and may cause injury if stepped upon or tripped over. This problem is especially prevalent at the beach, since the device is readily hidden in the sand.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems of the prior art by providing a detachable, cover-immobilizing weight assembly which does not require penetration of the ground surface. The invention can be easily attached to a cover and suspended from an edge of the cover above the ground surface, or laid directly upon the ground surface. For example, the invention may be attached to bed sheets or other laundry hung from a clothes line to prevent the laundry from blowing off the clothes line. The invention is useful in combination with any type of cover for immobilizing the cover regardless of the nature of the ground surface or supporting surface.
In the case of a beach towel, the weight of the present invention is quickly and easily increased by dipping the weight assembly in water. The invention can be stepped upon without injury. Moreover, the invention is relatively small and convenient for transport to and from the beach.